The hoist range will be designed to the European FEM standard, said Timothy Tevens, Columbus McKinnon president and CEO, in a press conference on 26 October.
The first models to come out will be in 5 US ton and 10 US ton capacity models, with heavier capacities to come.
Tevens said that the company is focusing more on developing products made to international standards with a different price for the low-cost markets of China and eastern Europe.
Most of the product expansion in the company’s four Chinese factories is newly-designed, rather than existing product, he said.
CM Vice president and treasurer Karen Howard said that 15% of CM’s products are made in Asia, eastern Europe and Mexico.
Tevens said that this figure would certainly rise, though he said that the company is cautious about increasing its quality or affecting technical know-how.
